Executive viewpoint

Opportunities to reduce costs and improve safety with digitization are created every day. Despite its clear applicability to upstream and downstream operations, the number of different technologies available makes it challenging to devise an overall strategy to leverage digitalization across the business.

Visualization—through both full-facility as-built 3D models and 360 photography—creates an anchor for disparate data and document sources while forming a starting point for efficiently incorporating current and emerging digital technologies. Most importantly, it creates a foundation from which oil companies can utilize digitization to work in new, more effective ways.

The opportunities to leverage these technologies are vast. PwC projected cumulative savings in upstream of $100 billion by 2025 through digitalization.

Visualization is a great starting point, because many technologies can be used in conjunction with as-built 3D models, including digital twin, 4D/5D project management, augmented reality and advanced process simulation. Others are less obviously related, but are more effective when spatial information is included, such as machine learning, predictive analytics, wearables and internet of things. In fact, of the 31 technologies that Deloitte recently identified as part of the “digital deluge” for oil and gas, at least 22 have a direct relationship to a digital representation of physical assets.

Take a strategic approach. Making visualization the cornerstone for digitalization lays the groundwork for taking advantage of technologies in a way that enhances organizational adoption; ensures technological fit-for-purpose; and optimizes selection and implementation costs.

Visualization works for brownfield facilities, as well as new greenfield developments. Greenfield projects have a distinct advantage, if an as-built, operations-oriented visualization platform is used from the start of concept design, rather than a platform focused exclusively on design and construction. These project goals should be cost avoidance and the implementation of technologies that eliminate high life cycle costs in operations, maintenance and risk management.

With brownfield facilities, the objective is cost reduction and risk management in an environment shaped by legacy systems and processes. 

Assess and extend existing visualization. A key aspect of a visualization strategy to leverage current and emerging technologies is an as-built 3D model of facilities. These models should be in as much detail as needed to link with most data—down to 0.5-in. piping named on P&IDs is a good guide. At first glance, this may seem extremely daunting, but it can be achieved more cost-efficiently than even a few years ago. Full-facility rescans can be avoided with incremental updates through the management of change process. In addition, with current methods, 360-degree color photos are captured at the same time, allowing highly accurate laser scan data to be colorized and used as a source of visualization, itself.

The first step is to assess existing visualization assets. These can include GIS systems, CAD models, laser scans, isometric drawings, photos and video. Often, these are created through projects and archived by the EPC as project artifacts. A best practice is to identify these working documents, specify them as deliverables, and host them on a visualization platform.

The second step is to determine how to embrace this existing information and related systems into a coherent visualization platform and—if it doesn’t yet exist—extend it with an integrated, as-built 3D model.

Data integration leveraging spatial relationships. The third, vital step is data integration to maximize the benefits of visualization and apply it to work processes. It is possible to break down existing information silos, and link data and documents without engaging in expensive information system replacements.

This is because almost everything ties back to an asset in the facility; the digital representation serves as the link that workers can follow and use their inherent spatial skills to discover. In this way, the visualization platform becomes a map that makes it possible to intuitively find unlinked data beyond one asset to an entire circuit, system or facility.

Reduced costs and increased safety. Visualization immediately reduces activity time and, thus, costs throughout the business, including concept design and selection, planning, estimating and analysis. It also makes many processes safer by making the physical assets and their context accessible and understandable. For example, a team contemplating the expansion of a facility can easily see how employees will be required to move in its operation, and plan accordingly

And for turnarounds or major repairs, the availability of a 3D model is a game-changer. It reduces the time to scope, estimate and bid out the project by helping bring clarity to what is involved. Additionally, it helps shorten concept selection, design and construction, and can help ensure a smooth handover into operations.

Even at the end of the facility life cycle, visualization continues to provide benefits by attracting additional buyer interest through cost-efficient operations and lower financial and safety risks during divestment.

What’s next. Creating a digitalization strategy with visualization and as-built, facility-wide 3D models as a cornerstone delivers immediate benefits It fulfills a prerequisite for innovative technologies, and positions the business to efficiently select, deploy and integrate new technologies well into the future.